Of clinical relevance, a recent clinical study conducted using ex vivo lung tissue from patients with COPD, and showed that the EGFR inhibitor BIBW 2948 had some efficacy in inhibiting EGFR phosphorylation and a tendency toward reducing mucous metaplasia thus establishing a “proof of concept” for beneficial effects of EGFR inhibition in the treatment of chronic airway inflammatory diseases40. The gene discussed is EGFR; the disease is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.